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Driving and operating181Trailer hitch
General information
Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Entrust retrofitting of towing
equipment to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
The bulb outage detection function for trailer brake light cannot detect a
partial bulb outage, e.g. in case of 4 x
5 Watt bulbs, the function only detects
lamp outage when only a single
5 Watt lamp remains or none remain.
Fitting of towing equipment could
cover the opening of the towing eye.
If this is the case use the coupling ball bar for towing. Always keep the
coupling ball bar in the vehicle.Driving characteristics and
towing tips
Before attaching a trailer, lubricate the coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the coupling ball, is being used to reduce snaking movements.
For trailers with low driving stability
and caravan trailers with a permitted
gross vehicle weight of more than
1200 kg the use of a stabiliser is
strongly recommended when driving
above 50 mph.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 246.Trailer towing
Trailer loads The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the
trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12%.
The permitted trailer load applies up to the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 metres above sea
level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross
train weight also decreases by 10%
for every 1000 metres of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than
8%, e.g. motorways).
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182Driving and operatingThe permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 235.
Vertical coupling load The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (75 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.Rear axle load
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) may be exceeded by 100 kg, the gross vehicle weight
rating may be exceeded by 100 kg. If
the permissible rear axle load is
exceeded, a maximum speed of
60 mph applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.
Stowage of coupling ball bar
The coupling ball bar is stowed in a
bag and must be secured in the load
compartment.
Vehicle with spare wheel
The bag with the coupling ball bar is
placed near the spare wheel under
the load floor cover.
Direct the strap through the rim and around the wheel, wrap it around the
coupling ball bar and tighten the strap
to secure the bag.
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Driving and operating183Vehicles with tyre repair kit
The bag with the coupling ball bar is
placed near the tyre repair kit box
under the load floor cover.
The strap is directed around the
threaded bolt under the tyre repair kit box. Wrap the strap around the
coupling ball bar and tighten the strap
to secure the bag.
Vehicles with flat load compartment
floor
The bag with the coupling ball bar is
stowed on the right side of the load
compartment floor.
Direct the strap through the rear right
lashing eye, wrap it twice around the
coupling ball bar and tighten the strap
to secure the bag.
Fitting the coupling ball bar
Disengage and fold down the socket. Remove the sealing plug from the
opening for the coupling ball bar and
stow it.
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184Driving and operatingChecking the tensioning of the
coupling ball bar
● Red marking on rotary knob must
point towards green marking on
coupling ball bar.
● The gap between the rotary knob
and the coupling ball bar must be approx. 6 mm.
● The key must be in position c.
Otherwise, the coupling ball bar must be tensioned before being inserted:
● Unlock coupling ball bar by turning key to position c.
● Pull out rotary knob and turn
clockwise as far as it will go.
Inserting the coupling ball bar
Insert the tensioned coupling ball bar
in the opening and push firmly
upwards until it audibly engages.
The rotary handle snaps back into its
original position resting against the
coupling ball bar without a gap.9 Warning
Do not touch rotary handle during
insertion.
Lock the coupling ball bar by turning
the key to position e. Remove the key
and close the protective flap.
Eye for break-away stopping cable
Page 187 of 263
Driving and operating185Attach breakaway stopping cable to
eye.
Check that the coupling ball bar is
correctly installed
● Green marking on rotary knob must point towards green
marking on coupling ball bar.
● There must be no gap between the rotary handle and the
coupling ball bar.
● The coupling ball bar must be firmly engaged in the opening.
● The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.9Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when a coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bardoes not engage correctly, seekthe assistance of a workshop.
Dismounting the coupling ball bar
Open the protective flap and turn the
key to position c to unlock the
coupling ball bar.
Pull out rotary handle and turn
clockwise as far as it will go. Pull out coupling ball bar downwards.
Insert sealing plug in opening. Fold away socket.
Stow and secure the coupling ball bar
as mentioned above.
Page 188 of 263

186Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................187
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 187
Vehicle storage ........................187
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....188
Vehicle checks ........................... 188
Performing work ......................188
Bonnet ..................................... 188
Engine oil ................................. 189
Engine coolant ......................... 190
Washer fluid ............................ 191
Brakes ..................................... 192
Brake fluid ............................... 192
Vehicle battery ......................... 192
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....194
Wiper blade replacement ........194
Bulb replacement .......................194
Halogen headlights ..................195
Adaptive forward lighting .........196
Fog lights ................................. 197
Front turn signal lights .............198
Tail lights ................................. 199
Side turn signal lights ..............201
Number plate light ...................201Interior lights ............................ 202
Instrument panel illumination ...202
Electrical system ........................202
Fuses ....................................... 202
Engine compartment fuse box . 203
Instrument panel fuse box .......205
Load compartment fuse box ....206
Vehicle tools .............................. 208
Tools ........................................ 208
Wheels and tyres .......................209
Winter tyres ............................. 209
Tyre designations ....................209
Tyre pressure monitoring
system .................................... 210
Tyre pressure .......................... 213
Tread depth ............................. 214
Changing tyre and wheel size . 215
Wheel covers ........................... 215
Tyre chains .............................. 215
Tyre repair kit .......................... 216
Wheel changing .......................219
Spare wheel ............................ 221
Jump starting ............................. 225
Towing ....................................... 226
Towing the vehicle ...................226
Towing another vehicle ...........227Appearance care .......................228
Exterior care ............................ 228
Interior care ............................. 230
Page 210 of 263
208Vehicle careNo.Circuit29Hydraulic unit30–31–32Flex RideVehicle tools
Tools
Vehicles with spare wheel
Open the load floor cover. The jack,
the tools and a strap for securing a
damaged wheel are in the tool box
below the spare wheel in the load
compartment.
The wheel wrench and the towing eye
are in the tool bag located in the spare wheel well near the tool box. The toolbag is fixated with a tether to the stow
rod. Remove tool box and tool bag
tether from the stow rod to access the
tools in the bag.
Spare wheel 3 221.
Vehicles with tyre repair kit
Some tools and the towing eye are
located together with the tyre repair
kit in a tool box in the load
compartment below the floor cover.
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Vehicle care209Vehicles with tyre repair kit and
flat load compartment floor
Some tools and the towing eye are
located together with the tyre repair
kit in a bag, which is fixed at the front left lashing eye in the load
compartment.
Wheels and tyres
Wheels
On vehicles with Diesel engines no steel rims and only special, for this
vehicle approved alloy wheels are
permitted.
Tyre condition, wheel conditionDrive over edges slowly and at right
angles if possible. Driving over sharp
edges can cause tyre and wheel
damage. Do not trap tyres on the kerb when parking.
Regularly check the wheels for
damage. Seek the assistance of a
workshop in the event of damage or
unusual wear.
Winter tyres
Winter tyres improve driving safety at temperatures below 7 °C and should
therefore be fitted on all wheels.
All tyre sizes are permitted as winter
tyres 3 246.Use tyre size 245/45 R18 only as
winter tyres.
On vehicles with Diesel engines, no
steel rims and only special, vehicle-
approved alloy wheels are permitted.
In accordance with country-specific
regulations, affix the speed sticker in
the driver's field of view.
Tyre designations E.g. 235/55 R 17 99 V235:Tyre width, mm55:Cross-section ratio (tyre height
to tyre width), %R:Belt type: RadialRF:Type: RunFlat17:Wheel diameter, inches99:Load index e.g. 99 is
equivalent to 775 kgV:Speed code letter
Speed code letter:
Q:up to 100 mphS:up to 112 mphT:up to 118 mphH:up to 130 mphV:up to 150 mphW:up to 168 mph